Mouthpiece-cigarette making machine



April 1, 1941. v R. E. RUNDELL IOUTHPIECE-CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1935 4 Shecs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR April 1, 1941. R E. RUNDELL lOUTHPI'ECE-CIG'ARETTE MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 .9 II m an 4 M Filed Jan. 24, 1955 April 1, 1941. R. E. RUNDELL lOUTHPIECE-CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .INVENTO Filed Jan. 24, 1935 ONEY .the very end.

Patented Apr. 1', 1941 MOUTHPlECE-CIGARETTE MAKING Rupert E. Rundell, Rockville Centre, N Y.,' as

signor to American Machine & pany, a corporation'o Foundry Com- 1' New Jersey Application January 24, 1935, Serial No. 3,320

62 Claims.

This invention relates to mouthpiece-cigarette making machines, its main object being to produce mouthpiece-cigarettes, that is, cigarettes having a filter-tip or other mouthpiece, by the continuous rod method in one continuous operation suitable for high speed.

' The main advantage of the mouthpiece in a mouthpiece-cigarette is the saving of the tobacco which would otherwise be thrown away by the consumer, since a cigarette is never smoked to This waste tobacco usually amounts to from one-quarter to one-third of the entire tobacco content of a cigarette, and, as the mouthpiece material is much cheaper than the relatively expensive tobacco used in cigarettes, the saving effected by mouthpiece-cigarettes is quite considerable.

To produce mouthpiece-cigarettes by the continuous rod process, it has heretofore been necessary to first make an ordinary all-tobacco filler rod and then to produce gaps in the filler and to insert the mouthpieces into these gaps.

In the present invention, the mouthpiece inserts or plugs, which may be cut from a continuous mouthpiece rod as it is unwound from a coil, or delivered from a magazine, are fed-at proper intervals on to an endless tape traveling with a continuously moving filler trough formed in the periphery of a large wheel, the spaces between the plugs being filled to the proper height with filler tobacco showered through the delivery chute of a tobacco feed spanning a portion of the circumference of the said wheel. The tobacco which would otherwise fall on the plugs as the wheel rotates under the tobacco feed chute is caught in cam-operated receptacles hinged at intervals on one side of the wheel, and-subsequently discharged therefrom and returned to the tobacco feed. Upon emerging from under the feed chute, the loose filler charge is firmly pressed into the filler trough by a suitable compressor wheel to produce a continuous composite filler rod, and thereupon the wrapper web is fed on to the filler rod by an endless tape traveling at the same speed as the filler rod. This tape, being on the outside of the filler rod, further compresses the same all the way to its run-ofi point on the wheel; and further compression of the filler rod may be effected by additional compressors placed at the back of the other tape. The filler rod, upon leaving the filler wheel between the two endless tapes, thus enters the rodvforming tube in such precompressed condition that the latter will now have a minimum amount of work to perform which largely contributes to the uninterrupted operation of the machine, as one ofthe most troublesome parts of a cigarette machine.

To hold the plugs in'place during their travel in shaping the rod, a fact the rod-former is wheel to close upon the in the filler trough, particularly before the wrapper web is applied to the filler rod, cam-operated clamps are provided at intervals on the filler sides of the plugs as soon as the latter are inserted into the filler trough, and remain closed until shortly before the filler rod leaves the filler-wheel. v The space below the lower end of the rear wall of the feedchute re quired for the entrance ofthe aforesaid receptacles into the operated shutters provided at the, filler wheel; these shutters closing intoposition back of the shortly before they enter under the feed chute wide after passing the chute .to

and opening up the application of the wrapper clear theway for web.

The composite filler rod is then advanced with the wrapper'webjthrough the rod-former, :paster, and sealer tocomplete then severed by'the cigarette.cutofi toiproduce the mouthpiece-cigarettes. Cork stripsof sufficient length to extend over the joint between the filter tip and tobacco section ,of'the cigarettes severed from the cigarette rod may be applied to the wrapper web as'it is fed to the-filler trough.

whereby the filter tip cigarettes soproduced will be made more rigid.

Accordingly, a further object 'of-the invention is to produce cork-tipped filter tip'cigarettes of v this nature, and to provide a method of making such cigarettes. With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully pended. Y

In the accompanying drawings which, form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the sameor like parts:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cigarette machine embodying the present invention, the transfer disc being broken away to expose the cigarettes being delivered thereto and ejected therefrom;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of the filier wheel on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3- -3 of Fig.2, showing the construction of "the plug clamps and the receptacles which shield the plugs from the showered tobacco;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on lined-4 of Fig. 2, showing the arrangement of chute shutters carried by the filler wheel r Fig. 5 is a front elevation" of transfer mecha-.

positing the same into the wheel;

trough of the filler tobacco shower, is closed by cam-- the cigarette rodwhich is described and thenspecifically set forth in the claims hereunto a"p,-"

Fig. '6 is a cross-section of the plug transfer mechanism, on line 6-45 of Fig.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental view of the coil of mouthpiece material from which the plugs are cut;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the finished cigarette produced by the machine shown in Fig. 1, its wrapper being partly opened to expose the filter tip; and

Figs. 9 to 12 are composite cross-sections showing the positions of the various parts coacting with the filler wheel at successive stages corresponding to radii 9 to I2 in Fig. 1.

In carrying the invention into effect there is provided a moving filler trough, mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for retaining the plugs in the trough, means for showering tobacco into the trough, devices traveling with the trough for shielding the mouthpiece plugs from the showered tobacco, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco sections and plugs in the tiller trough to produce a continuous filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod thus formed to produce a cigarette rod, and a cutoff for severing the cigarette rod to produce mouthpiece-cigarettes. In the best constructions contemplated there is provided mechanism for severing the plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material, and the cutoif is operated to alternately sever the cigarette rod at the mid-section of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form the mouthpiece-cigarettes. In the best constructions, also, the filler trough includes a wheel ar ranged on a horizontal axis beneath the tobacco showering means and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and the shielding devices include scoop-shaped receptacles hinged on the wheel to swing across the plugs in the groove and receive the tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs. The plug-retaining means in the best constructions includes pairs of clamps hinged on the wheel and coacting to grip the plugs inserted into compressing means includes a stationary slotted guard extending over the trough, a compressor wheel projecting through the slot into the trough to engage the plugs and tobacco therein, a tape threaded through said trough and driven therewith, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed the wrapper web onto the filler rod in the trough and further compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from the trough with the wrapper web and deliver the same to the wrapper folding and sealing mechanism. The latter in the best constructions is vertically inclined to receive the filler rod and wrapper web at the same angle at which they are drawn off the filler wheel, and the rod former includes a rotary suction chamber operating to remove any tobacco shreds which may have lodged on the mouthpiece plugs.

These various means and parts may be widely varied in constructions for the particular machine selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described.

Referring to Fig. 1, the improved mouthpiececigarette making machine consists of a bed II upon which are mounted a large filler wheel I8, a

the filler trough rthe stationary cam stationary cam I'I concentric with the said filler wheel, rollers I8 and I9 for holding in tension an endless tape 20 encircling the filler wheel, and rollers 2|, 22, 23 and 24 for guiding a second endless tape 25 around a sector of the filler wheel I6. A bracket 26 supported from the-bed I5 carries a rotary transfer disc 21 located intermediate the wheel I6 and a pair of opposed endless transfer belts 28 between which the mouthpiece plugs or inserts M are gripped shortly before they are cut from the mouthpiece rod MI by a cutting device 29, the rod MI being fed by a pair of feed belts 30, 30a, over .a guide 3| from a coil M2. The mouthpiece rod MI may be made up of rolled-up crepe tissue paper, as shown in Fig. '7, or of cotton or wool preformed to a circular crosssection, or any other suitable material; and may be chemically or otherwise treated in any desired manner to provide medicated or nicotine-absorbent filter tips. The device 29 may be similar in construction to any well known type of cigarette machine cutoff, and the construction chosen to illustrate the same is that shown in my pn'or Patent No. 1,888,774, granted November 22, 1932.

Above the wheel I 6 is suspended a tobacco feed 32 of well known construction and may be of the type shown in the patent to Podmore, No. 1,935,665, granted November 21, 1933 wherein the tobacco is picked up from the mass TI by a carded drum and brushed from the drum by a picker roll and delivered to the filler trough formed in wheel I6 through a chute 33 in the form of a fine homogeneous tobacco shower T2.

At one side of the lower end of the chute 33 is mounted a small disc or wheel 34 intercepting a portion of the tobacco shower. The wheel 34 is driven at high speed in the counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, so as to throw the tobacco falling near that side of the chute back towards its center in order to prevent the acc'umulation and packing of the tobacco. Fastened to the lower ends of the tobacco feed 32 are guards 35 and 36 which extend over the periphery of wheel I6. Through a slot in the guard 36 the rim of a narrow wheel 31 projects a small distance into the traveling filler trough formed in the wheel It.

The rim of wheel I6, the width of which is substantially that of the paper web P, has a central circumferential U-shaped groove or channel I01 which has a semi-circular bottom adapted to receive the filler tape 20, the wheel with its circumferential groove thus constituting the continuously moving filler trough of the cigarette machine. On radial centers, two cigarette lengths apart along a circle coinciding with the bottom of the groove I01, scoop-shaped receptacles I08 of a width equal to the length of the mouthpiece plugs M are hinged on studs I09 carried by lugs I I0 on the web of wheel IS, the members I08 being adapted to swing across the wheel over the groove I01. In the latter position they serve to shield the plugs M from the tobacco showered from the chute 32, and their front faces fit into an arcuate recess at the lower end of the front wall 33a of the tobacco chute 33 while traveling under the latter, thus collecting the tobacco received therein from the chute during the rotation of wheel I6. The studs I09, which are fastened to their respective receptacles I08, carry gear segments or pinions III meshing with gears II2 on studs II3 Joum-aled in lugs on the web of the wheel and carrying forked arms II 4 each .provided with a roller I I 5 engaging a cam track in one face of IT. When the receptacles I08 are swung back to their outward position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the collected tobacco is discharged upon the beveled rear face of cam I1 and falls into a conduit 43 through the arcuate mouth of the same, see Fig. 11. The conduit 43 which is attached to the outer face of the cam I1, extends down to the bottom of the cam and communicates through a pipe 44 with the inlet of a blower 45 attached to the rear of the tobacco feed 32 and opera-ting to suck the tobacco from the conduit 43 and discharge the same through its outlet 46 onto the tobacco mass TI in .the tobacco feed. Underneath the receptacles I08 and extending down to substantially one-half the depth of groove I01, the wheel I6 has opposed transverse slots I I6 into which fit pairs of hooked clamps II1 hinged on studs I09 and Wild on which are loosely mounted intermeshing gears I I8 fastened to the hubs of members II1. One of the clamps II1 of each pair has an arm II9 extending radially inward and provided with a forked end which engages with the pin I of a horizontal shaft I2I slidable in bearings I22 and I23 formed in the web of wheel I6 and an annular bracket I24 attached to wheel I6, respectively. The shafts I21 on their rearward ends carry cam followers I25 engaging a peripheral track in a cam piece I1a attached to the front face of cam I1. In their inward position shown in Fig. 3, the clamps II1 grip the plugs M and hold them-in position in groove I01, and in their outward position shown in dotted lines, they recede sufiiciently to leave the groove clear for insertion 'of' the plugs.

Between the receptacles I08 there are provided transverselyswingable shutters I26 adapted to form continuations of the rear wall 33 of the tobacco chute and thus to confine the tobacco shower to the groove I01 of wheel I6. When in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4, the shutters fit closely between the sidewalls of the receptacles I08. The shutters are fast on studs I21 turning in lugs I28 on the web of wheel I6 and'have forked. arms I29 engaging with pins I30 in horizontal shafts I3I. The shafts I3I are slidably supported in bearings I22a of the web of the wheel I6 and bearings I32 of the bracket I24, respectively, and carry rollers I33 engaging in a second cam track of cam piece I1a. On the bracket I24 is mounted an annular guard I34 which covers the moving parts on the front of the filler wheel.

of which is also supported by bracket 26. Eccentric studs I43 projecting from one face of the gears I42 have pivotally mounted thereon in alignment with the space between the endless belts 28, a plate I44, which, on a stud I45 midway between the studs I43, carries an arm I46 connected by a pin I41 .to the slide I40 to actuate the same. by the pinion 86, the inner edge of the plate I44 engages with the foremost plug between the belts 28 and forces the same into the groove I35 against either the. plunger I36 or I36a. I

The liner speed of rotation of the disc 21 is the same as that of the wheel I6, and the diameter of the disc 21 is so chosen that at each halfturn either plunger I36 or I36a is brought into register with one of the receptacles I00 and the corresponding pair of clamps II1 of the wheel I6 while a mouthpiece plug is being inserted in the groove against the other plunger. I

In Figs. 5 and 6 the plug M between the belts 28 is about to be inserted into the groove I35 against the plunger I36, whereupon the finger of slide I pushes the yoke I38a outward wherev The arrangement of the plug transfer mechanism which takes plugs M from between the delivery belts 28 and deposits the same at the proper intervals upon the tape 20 in the filler trough I01, is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. To this end the transfer device may consist of a disc 21, which has a circumferential groove I35 into which the plugs M 'fit tightly, provided with diametrically opposite plungers I36 and I36a disposed in the groove I35. The plungers I36 and I36a are mounted on pairs of pins I31 sildably supported in the rim of disc 21, and the inner ends of the respective pairs of pins I31 are joined by yokes- I38, I38a-, which are urged inwardly by springs I39 seated in recesses in the inner rim surface of disc 21. and I38a, at the center of disc 21, projects the finger of a slide I40 reciprocable in a groove in the base of the bracket 26 by which the transfer device is supported from frame I5.

On studs MI in this base are loosely mounted two gears I42 which are driven in opposite directions by the common pinion 86, the shaft 81 Into the space between the yokes I38 by the plunger I36a pushes the plug M delivered to it at the preceding'half-turn of disc 21, into the full line position M in the filler groove I01. The plunger I36a holds the plug M in place in the filler groove I01 while the pair of clamps II1 between which it was insertedclose upon it, and when the plunger reaches the position I36 at which it releases the plug, the same has entered under a small guide wheel I48 which is placed just beyond the path I49 of the .plunger and operates to seat the plug in the filler groove.

A guard I50, which partly surrounds the wheel 21, prevents the plugs being transferred from dropping out of the groove I35 and also serves to stop the longitudinal movement of the plug while the plate I44 is pushing the plug into the groove I35.

To .the bed I5 is fastened another bracket, not shown, which carries a printer mechanism 38 of well known type wherein the wrapper web P is printed with a trademark or other design by a printer die 38a as the web is drawn from the paper roll P around the impression cylinder 39, the wrapper web being held in contact with the impression cylinder by the guide rollers 39a. The printed wrapper Web is then drawn through a cork tipper of well known construction, such as that shown in my prior Patent No. 1,864,764, granted June 28, 1932, in which the wrapper web is continuously advanced by the feed rollers 19 and I5l, and doubled back over the roller I52 on its way to the filler trough. Feed rollers I53 of the cork tipper pull the cork web K from the cork reel K and feed it over a ledger plate along which cork strips double the length of the cork tips are severed by a revolving knife blade I54, the severed cork strips K being nipped between the feed rollers 19 and I5I and pressed on the portion of the wrapper web previously coated with adhesive by the raised segment of the paste-applying drum I55. On the same bracket is mounted a small rotary drum 40 provided on its periphery with .a raised segment having the length of a mouthpiece plug M and the width of the paper web P, the segment being so positioned as to wipe over a drum 4I'dipping into a paste pot 42 and Thus, as the gears I42 are revolved The composite filler rod formed in the flller groove by the mouthpiece plugs and the tobacco deposited between the plugs is compressed in the filler groove by the compressor wheel 31 and advanced under the tape 25 to bring the plugs into register with the pasted portions of the inner side of the web -P advanced by the tape 25. The tapes and coact to further compress the filler rod in the filler groove, thus assuring adhesion of the .plugs to the pasted portions of the web P, and discharge the web P with its filler rod from the filler wheel I 6 upon the inclined.

upper run of an endless tape M driven by a tape wheel 48 and running over rollers 49, 50, 5| and 52 and over a guide block 53, all mounted on the bed l5. The tape t! carries the web I? and its filler rod under a rotary suction chamber 56, whose circumference is equal to the length of two cigarettes and provided with a slot having an arcuate extent equal to the length of a mouthpiece plug to permit communication through the open end thereof with the pipe 55. The chamber 54 is rotated at a peripheral speed sumcient to bring its slot into registration with successive mouthpiece plugs which removes any stray shreds of tobacco which may have lodged on the plugs and is connected by a pipe 55 with the blower or with a separate suction source, and then advances the same through the rod-forming mechanism. The latter is of conventional construction, but is vertically inclined to permit the filler rod and wrapper web to be advanced thereto at the same angle at which they are drawn off the filler wheel. The rod forming mechanism comprises a rod-forming tube 56 which folds the edges of the wrapper web into overlapping relation, a cigarette paster 57 operating to apply adhesive to the inner margin of one edge of the wrapper web in the rod-forming tube, and a cigarette-rod sealer 58; the finished cigarette rod R being finally pushed into a reciprocating ledger plate 59, wherein the cigarettes are severed from the cigarette red by a cigarette cutoflf of any suitable type, such as that shown in my Patent No. 1,888,774 referred to above. From the ledger plate 59 the individual cigarettes C are delivered by transfer belts 6i and 52 to a cigarette collector 63 of any suitable type well known in the art and carried by a bracket 64 of frame I 5.

The cigarettes produced by this machine have the appearance shown in Fig. 8, consisting of a mouthpiece or filter tip portion M and a tobacco portion T, both contained within a common paper wrapper P which may be provided with a cork tip extending over the joint between the filter tip and tobacco, as shown, to make the cigarette more rigid.

The machine is driven by a motor 65 on the shaft of which are mounted two sprockets 65 and 61 which directly or indirectly actuate the various parts of the machine and thus insure their synchronism. The sprocket 66 by a chain 88 drives a sprocket 89 fast on the shaft I0 of wheel I 6, and the sprocket 6'! by a chain II drives the roller I8 of the tape 20, which is geared to roller 2I of tape 25. A sprocket 12 on shaft 10 by means of a chain I3 drives a sprocket H on a counter-shaft geared to the shaft of the compressor wheel 81, which in turn is connected by a chain I5 to the shaft of the deflector wheel 34. Another sprocket 18 on shaft I0 drives a chain 1'! running over a sprocket 18 on the shaft of the wrapper web feed roller I5I, this shaft in turn by means of a chain 19 driving the pastor drum 40. The shaft of roller 2| carries sprockets over which run a chain driving a sprocket 8| on the shaft 82 of the transfer disc 2'! and a chain 83 driving-a countershaft 84. A chain 85 running over a sprocket on the shaft 82 drives the transfer pinion 8B, and from the shaft 81 of the latter, by means of a sprocket chain 88, is driven a set of spiral gears 89 which actuate the driving pulley of the mouthpiece plug transfer belts 28. A chain 90 from shaft 82 drives the pulley 9| of the mouthpiece plug feed belt 30 which is geared to pulley 92 of feed belt 30a; and the shaft of pulley 92 carries a sprocket which, in turn, by means of a chain 93 drives the mouthpiece plug cutting device 29.

From the countershaft 84 is driven the paster 51!, through the chain 94, and, by means of the chain 95, the shaft 95 of tape wheel 48. The latter shaft, in turn, by a chain 97, drives the rotary sealer 58 and, by a chain 98, operates a countershaft 99. From the shaft 99, by a chain I00, is driven the main shaft of the cutoff 60, and the latter, by a chain iflI, drives the pulleys H12 and I03 of the belts BI and 62, the shafts of which are connected by intermeshing gears. By a chain I04, the shaft 99 also drives the cigarette collector 63. As in ordinary continuous rod cigarette machines, the main drive is controlled by a starting lever I05 controlling a clutch of conventional type, not shown, and a handwheel I05 is provided for cranking the machine for adiustment and timing of the various mechanisms. The adjusting mechanism may be similar to that shown in the patent to Rundell, No. 1,851,264, granted March 29, 1932.

The operation of this machine is as follows: The mouthpiece rod M! is drawn from the coil M2, Fig. 1, by the feed belts 30 and 35a, being guided thereinto by the guide 3|; the cutting device 29 dividing the rod MI into individual plugs M which are fed by the endless belts 28 to the transfer disc 21. The belts 28 run at a greater speed than the feed belts3ll to separate the plugs lengthwise, and are so timed as to deliver a plug in front of the pusher In every time one of the plungers I38, I36a of disc 2! arrives in receiving position. Since the disc 27 revolves at a linear velocity equal to the circumferential speed of the filler trough Hi1 and, at the delivery position of the plug, is moving in the same direction as'wheel IS, the plugs M are deposited by the plunger I36 and I35a successively on the filler tape 20 without relative motion and thus have no tendency to shift on the latter.

As shown in Fig. 9, which is a composite crosssection of wheel IS on radius 9 of Fig. 1, the guard I08, the clamps II! and the shutters I26 are open at this point so that the plug M can enter the filler trough without interference. As soon as the plug is in place on the tape 20, and while the plunger I3Ba is still exerting a radial pressure on the same, the clamps I I! are closed by the cam rollers I24, thereby holding the same in place; these clamps remaining closed until they have reached radius I! in Fig. 1, shortly before tape 20 leaves the filler trough. Before the plunger I38a releases the plug M, the latter enters under the guide wheel I48 which presses it down in the filler trough to seat it therein before the receptacle Ill closes over it. Immediately after clearing the wheel I the shutters I26 move inward to close the gaps between adJacent receptacles Ill.

While passing under the tobacco feed 32, the shower of tobacco T falling through the chute 33 fills the spaces between the plugs M on tape 20 ftion on radius 9.

to theproper height, the plugs themselves being V filler rod by the tape- 41, then enters the rodkept clearby the receptacles I08' which catch the tobacco which otherwise" wouldbefheaped upon the plugs. The guard35at'the"--entrance I of the chute 33 prevents spilling "of tobacco at j times when open spaces on the periphery'of the,

filler wheel, unfilled by mouthpiece plugs, pass under the tobacco feed. At the other side of the chute 33, on radius ID in Fig. 1, the Wheel 34 deflects the showered tobacco toward the center of the chute, thereby preventing jamming of tobacco at the emerging point. During their passage under the tobacco feed, the guards I08, clamps H1 and shutters I25 remain in the closed positions shown in Fig. 10.

Upon emerging from the tobacco feed, the receptacles I08 are swung outwardly, thereby discharging the tobacco T accumulated in .them into the conduit 43, Fig. 11, whence, by the action of the blower 45, the collected tobacco is returned to-the tobacco mass TI in the tobacco feed. As soon as the receptacles I08 are out of the way, the cam rollers I33 open the shutters I26, which then remain in their outermost position I26, shown in Fig. 12, in which they remain clear of the entire width of the rim of wheel l6 until the clamps I'I1 have again closed on the plugs M, shortly after having passed the plug loading sta- In this condition with the re ceptacles I08 and the shutters I26 wide open, the tobacco in the spaces between the plugs in the filler trough passes under the compressor wheel 31 on its way to the tape roller 24 and is com pressed to produce the continuous composite plug-and-tobacco filler rod. From its .point of emergence ,from the chute 33 toits entrance undertape-roller 24, the composite plug-and-tobacco charge on tape 20 is held inplace by the guard 36 which on radius II has a rectangular aperture, for the penetration of the compressor wheel 31, see Fig. 11.

The roller 24 guides the tape 25 by which the paper web- P is fed around the filler wheel I6 from the roll PI, and also serves to guide the web 'P: onto the composite filler rod in the filler trough. The web P, after passing around the impression cylinder 39 of the printer mechanism 38 on which the printer die 38a imprints it with a' trademark or other desired design, receives, every two cigarette-lengths apant between centers,,a patch of paste from the paster drum 40 which wipes over the paste wheel M as it turns. The relative positionof the drum 40 is such that the paste patches applied on the wrapper web register with the mouthpiece plugs M upon passing over roller 24 and thus secure them in position permanently. As described above, cork strips K may be previously applied to the wrapper web at' predetermined intervals to lie midway of the paste patches.

After passing roller 24, the composite filler rod is further compressed and advanced with the wrapper web between the moving tapes 20 and 25, and upon emerging from between the tape rollers I8 and H, they pass under the suction chamber 54 driven through chain 54' revolving in a housing 54a. The speed of chamber54 is so timed that its suction port, which has a circumferential length equal to that of a mouthpiece plug, registers with the aperture in housing 54a as the plugs pass below it, thereby removing any stray tobacco shreds which may have lodged upon the plugs. The tobacco portions of the filler rod are not disturbed by the chamber 54 since its suction is shut oil by the housing 54a between passages of successive plugs.

The web P, which now is propelled with the inner margin of the over-lapping edge of the web P iscoated with adhesive by engagement with the paste-wheel 51a of the rod paster 51,

' and is thereupon closed down upon the other edge by the sealer 58, to complete the cigarette rod. The finished cigarette rod R then enters the reciprocating ledger plate 59 in which it is cut into individual cigarettes C by the cut-oil 60, the revolving knife of which is so timed as to bisect each mouthpiece plug M and each tobacco section T between the plugs as they in turn pass through theledger plate 59. The belts 6| and 62, running at a higher linear speed than the tape 41, then separate the cigarettes C lengthwith and feed them to the collector 63 which alternately delivers them in two rows in each of which all the mouthpiece ends point in the same direction, opposite to-that of the cigarettes in the other row.

The printer 38, rod-former 56, paster 51, sealer 58, ledger-plate 59, and cutoff 60 are regular continuous-rod cigarette machine parts of well known construction, and any of the various standard forms of these mechanisms may be used in the present machine.

Whilethe cutoif 60 may be timed. to severthe.

cigarette rod at the mid-section of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the same, it will be understood that it may be operated "to cut the cigarette rod only at the leading ends of the mouthpiece plugs so that the entireplug will constitute the filter tip of the severed cigarettes. In this event the plug-cutting device 29 will be timed to sever the mouthpiece rod M, at intervals corresponding to the desired length of the filter tips.

It should also be understood that a number of improvements thereon are of value in the making of plain cigarettes, as well as the mouthpiece variety. I

For example, the large wheel and inclined former construction provides much more time and space between the feeding operation and the forming operation without requiring a great deal of floor space and without making the feed 'unduly high, and therefore inaccessible to the .operator who fills the same.

It has long been felt that a difliculty with high speed cigarette machines lay in the provision of too little time for the more gradual settling together and stream into a cigarette rod or rope. The present machine overcomes this difficulty without materially increasing floor space; indeed floor space may be reduced while allowing more time for forming the rod.

-It is also'apparent that features of the present invention may be used to make ciragettes which are empty at the mouth end, either. with the object of later inserting a mouthpiece or providing a final product having neither tobacco that themouth g, piece plugs may be delivered individually from the tobacco nor mouthpiece plug at one end, which end may be re-inforced by a tip, possibly of substantially greater stiffness than the usual tip. The shielding mechanism would of course be useful in tending to prevent tobacco from filling the spaces which later make the empty end portions of the cigarettes and the loose rtobacco removing device 54-5411-55 would of course be useful in removing shreds which happen to fall into these spaces.

Another feature of value with or without mouthpiece inserting mechanism, is the arrangement of inner. and outer tapes 20 and 25 and of the paper P, all co-operating with the travelling troughed conveyor such as the wheel Hi. This arrangement eliminates a troublesome bridge construction between the wheel and the former tape since the tobacco is resting on the travelling paper at all times. It is noted that since the tobacco and mouthpieces are securely gripped between two moving tapes as they pass from the wheel, there is little likelihood of displacement of the mouthpieces or of the tobacco.

A valuable feature of the wheel or of an arched construction of the travelling conveyor passing under the feed chute, for mouthpiece cigarette making, is the fact that at one side of the chute as shown in Fig. 1, the tobacco drops against the forward face of the plugs and thus is thoroughly piled against that face with little likelihood of holes or air spaces having formed and at the other end of the chute, the tobacco is showered against the rear face of the mouthpiece, securing the same desired result against this mouthpiece face.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, whereby a continuous composite filler rod is formed, mechanism for feeding a wrapper web on to the filler rod formed in said trough and folding and sealing the wrapper web about the filler rod to produce a continuous composite cigarette rod, and a cutofi for severing the cigarette rod to form mouthpiececigarettes.

2. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, members traveling with said trough for retaining the plugs in said trough, and means for showering tobacco into the spaces between the plugs in said trough.

3. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine,

the combination witha moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for retaining the plugs in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutoff for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the mid-section of the aasacve mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said filler trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis beneath said tobacco showering means and providedwith a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said shielding devices including scoop-shaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove and receive the showered tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, and mechanism for swinging the receptacles across the wheel to receive the tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobacco collected therein;

4. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and de-,

positing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for retaining the plugs in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper Web about the filler rod to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutofi for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the mid-section of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said filler trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis beneath said tobacco showering means and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said plug-retaining means including pairs of clamps hinged on said Wheel and coacting to grip the plugs inserted into said groove, and mechanism for separating and then closing said clamps to freely admit the plugs into said groove and then grip the same.

5. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine,

' the combination with a moving filler trough, of

mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for retaining the plugs in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said troughto produce a continuous composite filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutoff for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the mid-section of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said filler trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, said shielding devices including scoopshaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove to receive the showered tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, and said tobacco showering means including a chute overlying said wheel. a tobacco feed above said chute for showering tobacco through said chute into said groove. one side wall of said chute extending down to said groove and being recessed to receive the end on said wheel between said receptacles to swing into position to confine the showered tobacco into said groove.

6. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine.

the combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in spaced relation in said trough, members traveling with said trough for retaining the plugs in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutoff for severing the cigarette rod to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said compressing means including a stationary slotted guard extending over said trough, a compressor wheel projecting through said slot into said trough to engage the tobacco therein, a tape threaded through said trough, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed the wrapper web on to the filler rod in said trough and compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from said trough with the wrapper web and deliver the same to said wrapper folding and sealing mechanism.

'7. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination with a moving filler trough,of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means traveling with the trough for retaining theplugs in said trough, means for showering tobacco into the spaces between the plugs in said trough, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler tobacco and plugs advanced in said trough to produce a cigarette rod, and a cutoff for severing the cigarette rod to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed the wrapper web on to the filler tobacco andplugs in said trough and compress the same therein.

8. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of. mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for retaining the plugs in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutoff for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the midsection of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said conpressing means including a tape threaded through said groove, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed the wrapper web on to the filler rod in said trough and compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from said trough together with the wrapper web at an upwardly inclined angle to the horizontal, and said wrapper folding and sealing mechanism being upwardly inclined at the same angle to receive the filler rod and v'rapper web in a straight line from said tapes, and including a rotary apertured suction chamber operating to remove any shreds of tobacco lodged on the mouthpiece plugs.

9. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination with a moving filler trough, of means for showering tobacco into said trough,

devices for shielding sections of the trough from I the showered tobacco and collecting the tobacco which would otherwise be showered into the trough, and returning it to said tobacco showering means, said devices including receptacles carried by and hinged on said trough to swing across the same to receive showered tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobacco, a conduit arranged to receive the tobacco discharged from said receptacles, and a blower in said conduit for pneumatically conveying the tobacco,

through said conduit to the tobacco showering means.

10. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for retaining the plugs in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices for shielding the mouthpiece plugs from the showered tobacco and collecting the tobacco which would otherwise be showered on the plugs and returning it to said tobacco showering means, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco sections in said filler trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the fillei' rod thus formed to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutoff for severing the cigarette rod to produce mouthpiececigarettes, said filler trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis beneath said tobacco showering means and provided'with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said shielding devices including scoop shaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove and receive the showered tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, mechanism for swinging the receptacles across the wheel to receive the tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobacco collected therein, a conduit arranged to receive the tobacco discharged from said receptacles, and a blower connected to said conduit for returning the tobacco discharged into said conduit to said tobacco showering means.

11. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugsfrom a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco sections in said filler trough to produce a continuous filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod thus formed to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutoff for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the mid-section or the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said plugsevering and depositing mechanism including a.

advance the mouthpiece rod, a device for severing individual plugs from the mouthpiece rod while the same is being advanced, a pair of traveling endless transfer belts having opposed runs arranged to receive the plugs therebetween and advance and separate them lengthwise, a rotary transfer disc provided with a circumferential groove, a pusher aligned with the space between said opposed runs, means for moving the pusher in an orbital path to eject the plugs from between said opposed runs into the circumferential groove of said disc, and devices for removing the plugs-from said groove and depositing them in said filler trough.

12. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco sections in said filler trough to produce a continuous filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod thus formed to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutofl for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the midsection of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said filler trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis beneath said tobacco showering means and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said shielding devices including scoop-shaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove to receive the showered tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, and mechanism for swinging the receptacles across the wheel to receive the tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobacco collected therein.

13. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco sections in said filler trough to produce a continuous iiller rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod thus formed to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutofl. for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the mid-section oi the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said filler trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, said shielding devices including scoopshaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove to receive the showered tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, and said tobacco showering means including a chute overlying said wheel, a tobacco feed above said chute for showering tobacco through the chute into said groove, one side wall of said chute extending down to said groove and being recessed to receive the end walls of said receptacles, and shutters hinged on said wheel between said receptacles to swing into position to confine the showered tobacco to said groove.

14. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco sections in said filler trough to produce a continuous filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod thus formed to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutoff for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the midsesction of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said compressing means including a stationary slotted guard extending over said trough, a compressor wheel projecting through said slot into said trough to engage the tobacco therein, a tape threaded through said filler trough, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed the wrapper web on to the filler rod in said trough and compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from said trough with the wrapper web and deliver the same to said wrapper folding and sealing mechanism.

15. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece ma.- terial and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding the plugs from the showered tobacco, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco sesctions in said filler trough to produce a continuous filler rod, mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod thus formed to produce a continuous cigarette rod, and a cutofi for alternately severing the cigarette rod at the midsection of the mouthpiece plugs and midway between the plugs to form mouthpiece-cigarettes, said trough including a wheel provided with a groove or channel adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said compressing means including a tape threaded through said groove, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed the wrapper web on to the filler rod in said groove and compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from said groove together with the wrapper web.

16. The combination with a moving filler trough, oi mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for thereafter advancing a wrapper web onto the plugs in said trough and folding and sealing the wrapper web about the same to produce a rod, a cutoff for severing the rod at the mid-section of the plugs and midway between the plugs, a cork-tipping mechanism operating to apply cork strips at predetermined intervals on said web such that the ends of the cork strips will extend beygond the ends of the plugs within the folded we 17. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices for shielding the plugs in said trough from the showered tobacco and collecting the tobacco which otherwise would be showered on the plugs and returning it to said tobacco showering means, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco and a composite plug-and-tobacco filler is thus 'rettes, said filler trough including a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis beneath said tobacco showering means and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said devices including scoop-shaped receptacles hinged on said wheel 7 to swing across the plugs in said groove and receive the showered tobacco which otherwise i would be deposited-on the plugs,, mechanism for swinging the receptacles across the wheel to receive the tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobaccocollected therein, a conduit arranged i'totreceive the tobacco discharged from said re- 'ceptacles, and a blower connected to said conduit for returning the tobacco discharged into said conduit to said tobacco showering means. 18. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece "plugs in spaced relation in said trough, means for showering tobacco into said trough. independently movable devices for shielding the plugs in said trough from the showered tobacco and collecting the tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, and returning it to said tobacco showering means, whereby the spaces between the plugs are filled with tobacco and a composite plug-and-tobacco filler is thus formed, means for guiding the composite plug-andtobacco filler from said trough and folding and sealing a wrapper web about the same, and a cutoff for severing the rod to produce mouthf piece-cigarettes.

19.;"Ihe combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for severing mouthpiece plugs from a continuous rod of mouthpiece material and depositing the severed plugs in spaced relation in said trough, said mechanism including a pair of traveling endless feed belts coacting to advance the mouthpiece rod, a device for severing individual plugs from the mouthpiece rod while the-samev is being advanced, a pair of traveling endless transfer belts having opposed runs arranged to receive the plugs therebetween to advance and separate them lengthwise, a rotary transfer disc provided with a circumferential groove, a pusher aligned with the space between said opposed runs, means for moving said pusher in an orbital path to eject the plugs from between said opposed runs into the circumferential groove of said disc, and devices for removing the plugs from said groove and depositing them in said filler trough.

20. The combination with a rotating wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, of means for showering tobacco into said groove, scoop-shaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove and receive the tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on theplugs,

. and mechanism for swinging the receptacles across the wheel to'receive the tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobacco collected therein.

21. The combination with a rotating wheel arranged on a-horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, of means for showering tobacco into said groove, scoop-shaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove and receive the tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, mechanism for swinging the receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the'plugs in said groove and receive the tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, mechanism for swinging the receptacles across the wheel to receive the tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobacco collected therein, said showering means including a chute overlying said wheel, a tobacco feed for showering tobacco through said chute into said groove, one side wall of said chute extending down to said groove and being provided with a recess adapted to receive the end walls of said receptacles, a rotary disc intercepting a portion of the shower of tobacco in said chute and deflecting it toward the center of the chute to prevent packing of tobacco at the point at which the wheel emerges from under the chute, and shutters hinged on said wheel between said receptacles to swing into position to confine the shower of tobacco to said groove.

23. The combination with a rotating wheel provided with a groove or a channel adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, of means for showering tobacco into said groove, and devices traveling with said wheel for shielding the plugs in said groove from the showered tobacco.

24. The combination with a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, of means for retaining the plugs in said groove, said means including pairs of clamps hinged on said wheel and coacting to grip the plugs in said groove, and mechanism for separating and then closing said clamps to'freely admit the plugs into said groove and then grip the same.

25. The combination with a continuously rotating wheel provided with a filler groove or channel provided with a circumferential groove arranged to receive plugs ejected from between said opposed runs, a pusher aligned with the space between said opposedruns, means for moving said pusher in an orbital path to cause it to eject the plugs from between said opposed runs and insert them into the circumferential groove of said disc, and means for removing the plugs from said circumferential groove and inserting them into said filler groove while the wheel is rotating.

27. The combination with a continuously rotating wheel provided with a circumferential groove, of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in said groove in spaced relation, means for showering tobacco into the spaces between said plugs, means for compressing the tobacco in said groove to form a continuous filler rod, and mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod, said last named mechanism including a rotatary apertured suction chamber operating to remove any tobacco lodged on the plugs.

28. The combination with a rigid moving filler trough, of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in said trough in spaced relation, means for showering tobacco into the spaces between said plugs, and means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod.

29. The combination with a moving filler trough, of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece plugs in said trough in spaced relation, means for showering tobacco into the spaces between said plugs, and means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, said compressing means including a stationary slotted guard extending over said trough, a compressor wheel projecting through said slot into said trough to engage the tobacco therein, a traveling tape threaded through said trough, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed a wrapper web on the filler rod in said trough and further compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the filler rod from said trough together with said web.

30. The combination with amoving filler trough, of mechanism for depositing mouthpiece pluugs in said trough in spaced relation, means for showering tobacco into the spaces between said plugs, and means for compressing the tobacco showered into the spaces between the plugs in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, said filler trough including a continuously rotating wheel provided with a groove or channel adapted to receive the plugs and showered tobacco, and said compressing means including a traveling tape threaded through said groove. and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed a wrapper web on to the filler rod in said groove and further compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from said groove together with the wrapper web.

31. The combination with a continuously rotating wheel provided with a groove or channel adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, and means for compressing the tobacco in said trough to produce a continuous composite filler rod, said means including a stationary slotted guard extending over said groove, a compressor wheel projecting through said slot into said groove to engage the tobacco therein, a traveling tape threaded through said groove, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed a wrapper web on to the filler rod in said gr ove and further compress .the same, said tapes, coacting to draw the filler rod from said groove together with the wrapper web.

32. The combination with a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, means for compressing the tobacco in said groove to form a continuous composite filler rod, and mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod to form a cigarette rod, said means including a traveling tape threaded through said groove and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed a wrapper web on to the filler rod in said groove and further compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from said groove together with the wrap per web.

33. The combination with a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, means for com pressing the tobacco in said groove to form a continuous composite filler rod, and mechanism for folding and sealing a wrapper web about the filler rod to form a cigarette rod, said means including a-traveling tape threaded through said groove, and a traveling web-feeding tape operating to feed the wrapper web on to the filler rod in said trough and compress the same therein, said tapes coacting to draw the compressed filler rod from said trough together with the wrapper web at an upwardly inclined angle to the horizontal, and said mechanism being upwardly inclined at the same angle to receive the filler rod and wrapper web in a straight line from said tapes.

34. The combination with a wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, of means to shower tobacco into said groove to fill the portions thereof between said plugs, and mechanism for drawing the composite plug-and-tobacco filler from said groove and folding and sealing a wrapper web about the same.

35. The combination with a continuously rotating wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, scoop-shaped receptacles hinged on said wheel to swing across the plugs in said groove and receive showered tobacco which otherwise would be deposited on the plugs, and mechanism for swinging the receptacles across the wheel to receive tobacco and then backward to discharge the tobacco collected therein.

36. The combination with a continuously rotating wheel arranged on a horizontal axis and provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive mouthpiece plugs and showered tobacco, of a chute overlying said wheel, a tobacco feed for showering tobacco through Said chute into said groove, and a rotary disc intercepting a portion of the shower of tobacco in said chute and deflecting it toward the center of the chute to prevent packing of tobacco at the point at which the wheel emerges from under the chute.

3'7. Plug-severing and depositing mechanism including a pair of traveling endless feed belts coacting to advance a rod of mouthpiece material, a device for severing individual plugs from the mouthpiece rod while the same is being advanced,

a pair of traveling endless transfer belts havingpposed runs arranged to receive the plugs therebetween and advance and separate them lengthwise, a rotary transfer uisc provided with a circumferential groove, a pusher aligned with the space between said opposed runs, means for moving said pusher in an orbital path to eject the plugs from between said opposed runs into the circumferential groove of said disc, and devices for removing the plugs from. said groove and depositing them in the desired position.

38. In a cigarette machine, the combination with means for forwarding cigarette mouthpieces in spaced relation, of mechanism for feeding loose tobacco into the spaces between said mouthpieces to form a continuous filler, and mechanism acting on said filler to remove loosev tobacco from said mouthpieces.

39. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with means for forwarding cigarette mouthpieces in spaced relation, of mechanism for feeding loose tobacco into the spaces between said mouthpieces to form a continuous filler, and pneumatic means acting on the mouthpieces only of said continuous filler to'remove loose tobacco from said mouthpieces,

40. In a cigarette machine, the combination with means for forwarding cigarette mouthpieces in spaced relation, of mechanism for feeding loose tobacco into the spaces between said mouthpieces to form a continuous filler, and said mechanism including a tobacco showering device, shields for said mouthpieces, means for tilting said shields to discharge the intercepted tobacco and a conveyor system co-operating with said shields to return the tobacco intercepted by the shields to said device.

41. The combination with mechanism for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into a continuous cigarette 'filler including means for advancing the filler lengthwise, of a device for removing loose tobacco from said mouthpieces.

42. The combination with mechanism for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into acontinuous cigarette filler including means for advancing the filler lengthwise, of a device for removing loose tobacco from said mouthpieces, and a cigarette rod former for forming and wrapping said filler, and a cutoff for cutting the resulting cigarette rod through the mouthpieces into mouthpiece cigarettes.

43. The combination with mechanism for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into a continuous cigarette filler including means for advancing the filler lengthwise, of a device forremoving loose tobacco from. said mouthpieces,

said device comprising an element having a suction opening, a suction conduit connected thereto, and means for rendering the element operative on the mouthpieces and inoperative on the filler portions between mouthpieces.

44; The combination with mechanism for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into a continuous cigarette filler including means for advancing the filler lengthwise; of a device for removing loose tobacco from said mouthpieces, said device comprising an element having a suction opening, a suction conduit connected thereto, and means for rendering the element operative on the mouthpieces and inoperative on the filler portions between mouthpieces, said last mentioned means including a valve periodically cutting off the suction.

45. The combination with mechanism for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into a continuous cigarette filler including means for advancing the filler lengthwise, of a device for removing loose tobacco from said mouthpieces, said device comprising an element having a suction opening, a suction conduit connected thereto, and means for rendering the element operative on the mouthpieces and inoperative on the filler portions between mouthpieces, said last mentioned means including mechanism causing said opening to move periodically from nonoperating position into operating position in registry with said mouthpieces.

46. The combination with means for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into a continuous cigarette filler having a succession of spaced mouthpieces therein, including a rotating wheel for receiving and advancing said tobacco and mouthpieces.

4'7. The combination with means for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into a conwheel for receiving and advancing said tobacco and mouthpieces, and travelling tapes travelling along the periphery of said wheel arranged to grip the filler between them.

48. The combination with means for assembling cigarette tobacco and mouthpieces into a continuous cigarette filler having a succession of spaced mouthpieces therein, including a rotating wheel for receiving and advancing said tobacco and mouthpieces, and travelling tapes travelling along the periphery of said wheel and leaving the same at one position along its periphery operating to grip the filler between them and deliver the same from thewheel while maintaining the mouthpieces and tobacco in that assembled relationship.

49. The combination with means for assembling cigarette tobacco, and mouthpieces into a continuous cigarette filler having a succession of spaced mouthpieces therein, including a rotating wheel for receiving and advancing said tobacco and mouthpieces, and a travelling tape positioned between said wheel and filler and leaving the wheel at one position along its periphery to deliver the filler therefrom.

50. In a cigarette machine, the combination with a chute for guiding showered tobacco, of means under said chute for receiving and forwarding the showered tobacco, and rod forming mechanism operating on the forwarded tobacco arranged to guide the tobacco and rod formed therefrom along a path upwardly inclined with respect to the horizontal to deliver the completed rod at a level above that of the forming means.

51. The combination with a continuously travelling conveyor adapted to receive showered tobacco. of a chute arranged above said conveyor to guide said tobacco into said conveyor, means co-acting with said conveyor to deliver the tobacco from said conveyor means and fold a wrapper about the same to form a cigarette rod, said rod forming means being inclined to the horizontal to advance the rod along anupwardly inclined path. a cutoff for cutting the rod into cigarette lengths, and means substantially above the level of said rod forming means for receiving the cut cigarettes.

52. The combination with a continuously rotating wheel adapted to receive showered tobacco, of devices for directing loose tobacco onto the upper side of said wheel, mechanism co-acting with said wheel to deliver the tobacco from the wheel, and rod forming and wrapping means for continuously forming a cigarette rod from said tobacco, said delivery mechanism and Said rod in said groove during rotation of the wheel, means co-acting with the wheel and said device to deliver the tobacco from the wheel, and means for wrapping cigarette paper about said tobacco to form a cigarette rod, said rod forming means being arranged to advance the rodalong an upwardly inclined path, a cutoff for cutting the rod into cigarette lengths and means substantially above the level of the lower side of the wheel for receiving the cut cigarettes.

54. The method of making a cigarette which comprises continuously advancing cigarette mouthpiece plugs endwise in an arched .path in spaced relation, showering tobacco into the spaces between said plugs to form a composite plug and tobacco filler, advancing the composite plug and tobacco filler on to a web of wrapper material, folding and sealing the wrapper web about the composite plug and tobacco filler to form a cigarette rod, and severing the cigarette rod at predetermined lengths to produce cigarettes with a mouthpiece at one end of each cigarette.

55. In a cigarette machine, the combination with a tobacco feed chute, of means for forwarding a narrow stream of tobacco travelling past and under said chute and receiving tobacco therefrom, mechanism for depositing mouthpieces on said forwarding means before the same passes under the chute, separately mounted shields acting to shield the mouthpieces from the falling tobacco from said chute while permitting tobacco to fall into the spaces between, and mechanism operating to withdraw the shields successively near the forward end of the chute.

56. In a cigarette machine, the combination with a tobacco feed chute, of means for forwarding a narrow stream of tobacco travelling past and under said chute and receiving tobacco therefrom, mechanism for depositing mouthpieces on said forwarding means before the same passes under the chute, shields acting to shield the mouthpieces from the falling tobacco from said chute while permitting tobacco to fall into the spaces between, mechanism operating to withdraw the shields near the forward end of the chute, and a device overlying said forwarding means at the forward end of the chute for defleeting showered tobacco backwardiy away from the mouthpieces being unshielded.

57. In a cigarette machine, the combination with an elongated tobacco feed chute, of means for forwarding a narrow stream of tobacco travelling past and under said chute and receiving tobacco therefrom, spaced shields travelling with said forwarding means acting to shield selected spaced portions of said forwarding means from the tobacco falling from said chute, mechanism operating to withdraw the shields near the forward end of the chute, and a rotary member overlying said forwarding means at the forward end of the chute for throwing tobacco backwardly away from the portions from which the shields are being withdrawn.

58. In a cigarette machine, the combination with means for forwarding endwise in spaced relation cigarette mouthpiece plugs having transverse end faces, of tobacco showering mechanism showering tobacco into the spaces between plugs being forwarded, said means and said showering mechanism co-operating to cause tobacco to fall at an acute angle against said faces to insure a tight joint between the mouthpieces and intermediate tobacco portions, said means including a conveyor having portions respectively inclined upwardly and downwardly and in the path of the showered tobacco to expose the front and rear ends of the plugs respectively to the shower.

59. In a cigarette machine,.the combination with means for forwarding endwise in spaced relation cigarette mouthpiece plugs having transverse end faces, of tobacco showering mechanism showering tobacco into the spaces between plugs being forwarded, said means and said showering mechanism co-operating to cause tobacco to fall at an acute angle against said faces to insure a tight joint between the mouthpieces and intermediate tobacco portions, said means including a conveyor arched under said showering means to provide upwardly and downwardly inclined portions exposing opposite ends of the mouthpieces to the shower.

60. In a mouthpiece-cigarette making machine, the combination-with a moving filler trough, of means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding sections of the same from the'showered tobacco, mechanism for advancing a wrapper web on to the tobacco advanced in said trough, means for folding and sealing the wrapper web about the tobacco advanced by said trough to produce a cigarette rod, and a cutoff for severing the cigarette rod alternately through the sections filled with tobacco and the adjoining sections.

61. The combination with a moving filler trough, of means for showering tobacco into said trough, devices traveling with said trough for shielding sections thereof, means for feeding a wrapper web over the tobacco in said trough, mechanism for folding and sealing the wrap l'. web about the tobacco advanced by said trough to produce a rod, a cutoff for alternately severing the rod through the tobacco-fllled-portions and the adJoining portions, and a cork-tipping mechanism operating'to apply cork stripe at predetermined intervals on the wrapper web such that the strips will cover the portions of the rod intermediate the tobacco sections and overlap the latter.

82. In a cigarette machine, the combination with means for forwarding cigarette mouthpieces in spaced relation, of mechanism for feeding loose tobacco into the spaces between said mouthpieces to form a continuous filler, a-source of supply of mouthpieces, a mouthpiece feed for feeding mouthpieces to said means .in spaced relation, said forwarding means including a conveyor, and means for giving said conveyor continuous movement, said mouthpiece feed comprising -an end surface engaging pusher for pushing mouthpieces on to the conveyor having movement in the direction of movement of the conveyor.

RUPERT E. RUNDELL. 

